Crystal Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 I am getting ready for the ponding season. Planting seeds - marsh marigold, cattails, reeds. None of the reeds grew - I will have to raid a lake or river for a plant. The marigolds aren't planted yet - they are very early bloomers and grow too fast to start yet. The cattails... The first two batches didn't grow at all, so I threw over a hundred seeds in hopes of getting one or two, put them in the freezer for 3 hours - and forgot them there for 3 days. Well, now I have just shy of a hundred 1cm tall cattails. :shock: If anyone wants some just let me know and when they are a bit bigger I will bring them into Edmonton. Come mid-April I will stick my water lilies and adult cattails in water-filled storage tubs in the basement under a grow light to revive them. I had no clue what I was doing when storing them for the winter, but I checked and all are damp and alive, except for one small cattail which dried out. I am glad the lilies made it through the winter :thumbs: , the one should bloom this year and I can't wait. Has anyone here had any success with lotus up here? I just can't seem to get my seedlings to live past a month or two - is it the seeds or just my inexperience? How is everyone else doing in preparation for the ponding season? The pond fever has started! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BooUrns! Posted March 26, 2009 Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 I'm getting a little impatient with all the ice. It's taking too long to go. I keep eyeing the outdoor tubs and wonder when I can start refilling them. The goldfish in the basement tubs are still ok but I worry about them as the temp down there starts to rise. I'd love to put them outside right now but I imagine the ammonia release when the pond bottom thaws would do them in. I would love some cattail plants. I've managed to keep one umbrella plant and a few others alive but they aren't exactly thriving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crystal Posted May 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 Hmmm... Perhaps a good thing I didn't add more than a few dormant cattails with this recent snow dump... (okay, who is doing the snow dance?! Show yourself or we will hold the snowman hostage!) Inside is a bit greener. I overwintered a couple of water lillies, cattails, and parrots feather. My water lilies have been in a tub of water for the last month, they are growing and are doing better than I expected. My parrots feather is actually in a regular flower pot on my window sill - I have to submerge cuttings for a couple of weeks for them to convert to the underwater oxygenator role. I think it is still one of the prettiest plants if it hangs down from a pot into the water and grows across the surface. This weekend I bought a few plants that should do as marginals - canna lilly, calla lilly, umbrella plant, purple pickerel, and a blazing star. Also bought some water lettuce and hyacinth. I was surprised when the greenhouse worker told me that they ordered lots of pond plants and had almost completely sold out (I got the last 5 floaters! :smokey: )... I came across some water lilly bulbs in Walmart - didn't pay much attention at first as I didn't have any luck with a couple that I had bought last year. But a hint of green caught my eye! I checked, and sure enough, 1 out of 3 pots had small lilly shoots trying to grow out of the plastic bag. $10 beats the $40 the nursery wanted... I picked up 2, and the next day they were scrambling to reach the surface (3-4" growth overnight...). Can't wait until Rona/Canadian Tire get their pond plants, they often get oddities that the green houses don't carry. My goldfish are more than ready to go out... These are what I kept from last year. I also have a 10g quarantine tank full of smaller pretty ones that caught my eye - and 3 small 3" koi... The koi weren't doing well and the pet store was going to flush them as they were afraid of an unknown disease. They are doing fine now that they have an airstone and the water isn't sky-high in ammonia. The pond can handle them this year, but I lack room to permanently house one 4 foot fish, let alone three! I already promised some goldfish to Balikiss this fall, and I am sure some koi wouldn't be turned down - right Balikiss? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharuq1 Posted May 20, 2009 Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 It's going to be gorgeous with all those lovely plants. Now if only the weather would cooperate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earthgirl Posted May 20, 2009 Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 I'm so excited. I dug my hole, put my 60 gallon pond in, filled around it, added some rocks, filled it with water, and IT SNOWED!!! Looks so good those pics coming along... Where is a good place to get some pond plants? I was looking at getting some reeds and water lilies.... I'm too excited! And I was thinking of some beta in the pond....Anybody with advice cause I am new at this.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobies et al Posted May 20, 2009 Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 Canadian Tire had water lilies, reeds, Water lettuce and a few others in Red Deer yesterday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishclubgirl Posted May 20, 2009 Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 I'm so excited. I dug my hole, put my 60 gallon pond in, filled around it, added some rocks, filled it with water, and IT SNOWED!!!Looks so good those pics coming along... Where is a good place to get some pond plants? I was looking at getting some reeds and water lilies.... I'm too excited! And I was thinking of some beta in the pond....Anybody with advice cause I am new at this.? IMHO, it's too cold for a betta. They like it a bit warmer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crystal Posted May 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 I'm so excited. I dug my hole, put my 60 gallon pond in, filled around it, added some rocks, filled it with water, and IT SNOWED!!!Looks so good those pics coming along... Where is a good place to get some pond plants? I was looking at getting some reeds and water lilies.... I'm too excited! And I was thinking of some beta in the pond....Anybody with advice cause I am new at this.? I understand the SNOWED part... The weather should smarten up now that it gave us our 6" May dump. Some green houses have them, but most I found either don't carry them or are sold out. Later on Canadian tire and Rona will have pond plants, and it amazing which house and garden plants readily adapt to having their roots 4" under water. I find many bulbous perenials (irises, canna lilly, calla lilly, etc) tend to do just fine - they are sold as perennials, not pond plants though. Most bog plants will be fine if its leaves are above water. water lillies can be found at canadian tire or rona later, a couple of green hosues carry them, but as I mentioned Walmart has them in small plastic containers (ensure you can see leaves before buying though). I believe nature's corner will get pond plants, but I have never been there. I got an umbrella plant leaf from a member on here and it is growing into a plant, I also found one in a green house which doesn't carry pond plants. ebay has some decent deals, but I prefer to keep it local. You could also collect wild plants too (ensure there is no restriction in your area and avoid collecting endangered/protected species). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earthgirl Posted May 21, 2009 Report Share Posted May 21, 2009 Thanks so much for the advice! I couldn't resist buying the water lilies from walmart, and some absolutely amazing purple callas from there as well! I have no patience, and this sucks, this crappy weather.... I have heaters that I can add to the pond, so heat is not an issue. Is that a better idea fishclubgirl or are bettas still a bad idea? Thanks so much for all the advice. This weekend is reptile show and me looking around for pond stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crystal Posted May 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2009 Thanks so much for the advice! I couldn't resist buying the water lilies from walmart, and some absolutely amazing purple callas from there as well! I have no patience, and this sucks, this crappy weather.... I have heaters that I can add to the pond, so heat is not an issue. Is that a better idea fishclubgirl or are bettas still a bad idea? Thanks so much for all the advice. This weekend is reptile show and me looking around for pond stuff! I have some patience, but it is forced by weather or I would probably be more impatient. I think we are just too cold for bettas in a pond, and a heating bill could be atrocious (I would use a water stock tank heater for lower price tag). I don't think my pond got above 24 degrees even on a hot deck where it regularly hit 30-35 degrees. It isn't unusual for water beetles to fly into any pond (I found a 3" one when I was draining the pond last fall), and they go after any slow fish (betta....). If you don't want goldfish, no problem, there is an 'alternative pond fish' thread in this pond section - check it out. I would choose more 'coldwater' fish unless you know your pond will be warm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balikiss Posted May 25, 2009 Report Share Posted May 25, 2009 Hmmm... Perhaps a good thing I didn't add more than a few dormant cattails with this recent snow dump... (okay, who is doing the snow dance?! Show yourself or we will hold the snowman hostage!) Inside is a bit greener. I overwintered a couple of water lillies, cattails, and parrots feather. My water lilies have been in a tub of water for the last month, they are growing and are doing better than I expected. My parrots feather is actually in a regular flower pot on my window sill - I have to submerge cuttings for a couple of weeks for them to convert to the underwater oxygenator role. I think it is still one of the prettiest plants if it hangs down from a pot into the water and grows across the surface. This weekend I bought a few plants that should do as marginals - canna lilly, calla lilly, umbrella plant, purple pickerel, and a blazing star. Also bought some water lettuce and hyacinth. I was surprised when the greenhouse worker told me that they ordered lots of pond plants and had almost completely sold out (I got the last 5 floaters! :smokey: )... I came across some water lilly bulbs in Walmart - didn't pay much attention at first as I didn't have any luck with a couple that I had bought last year. But a hint of green caught my eye! I checked, and sure enough, 1 out of 3 pots had small lilly shoots trying to grow out of the plastic bag. $10 beats the $40 the nursery wanted... I picked up 2, and the next day they were scrambling to reach the surface (3-4" growth overnight...). Can't wait until Rona/Canadian Tire get their pond plants, they often get oddities that the green houses don't carry. My goldfish are more than ready to go out... These are what I kept from last year. I also have a 10g quarantine tank full of smaller pretty ones that caught my eye - and 3 small 3" koi... The koi weren't doing well and the pet store was going to flush them as they were afraid of an unknown disease. They are doing fine now that they have an airstone and the water isn't sky-high in ammonia. The pond can handle them this year, but I lack room to permanently house one 4 foot fish, let alone three! I already promised some goldfish to Balikiss this fall, and I am sure some koi wouldn't be turned down - right Balikiss? Well i would just LOVE some koi! hey btw...what do you use to filter your pond with...i'm trying to convince my bf to get a kids pool kinda like that one, but the filtration would rather expensive..can you make a complete eco system with a pond like that?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crystal Posted May 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2009 (edited) Well i would just LOVE some koi! hey btw...what do you use to filter your pond with...i'm trying to convince my bf to get a kids pool kinda like that one, but the filtration would rather expensive..can you make a complete eco system with a pond like that?? I have lots of plants and not too many fish, so nature mostly took care of itself with help from a solar fountain to aerate the pond and an old aquaclear 110 which was on 4-8 hours a day to clean the pond a bit. biological filtration is everywhere - its just the debris. I plan to ditch the AC 110 and get a Pondmaster Mini skimmer (http://www.aqua-mart.com/sdmps.html) which you just sit in the pond - no cutting liner or anything. If you didn't mind siphon vacuuming the bottom of the pond 1-3x a summer (makes Excellent garden water), lots of plants, not too many fish, don't overfeed; you could get away with no filter. My neighbor had a HUGE stock water tank - 12 foot diameter circle and 4 feet deep buried 2 feet in the ground. Awesome and lasted for over a decade until a drunk driver hit it :eh:. If the pond is flexible plastic remember to use an old blanket under it to prevent punctures. If I had the money I would have got a water tub meant for cattle - much more durable. If you could get one used it would be cheaper... Your dugout wouldn't need anything as long as the aeration works. Edited May 25, 2009 by Crystal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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